New Campanile Basso rock climb in Brenta Dolomites

Destrani in our local dialect means nostalgia. I like the idea of having created a little climb in memory of an ordinary woman, Maria "Mariotta" Oss Pegorar, born way back in 1923. She’s by no means famous, simply a daughter of the twentieth century, someone though when in comes to courage and tenacity was on a par with the pilot Giorgio Graffer and the “Spider of the Dolomites" Cesare Maestri, who as of today are her guards of honor on the most famous tower in the Dolomites.

This climb can about completely spontaneously…. we all had a day off, wanted to climb together, the weather wasn’t stable enough for something longer and I had a lump in my throat, because losing a grandparent is always a bit like losing a bit of your roots.

I’d envisaged the line a long while ago, having eyed it countless times as I climbed Via Normale or ascended the Via ferrata Bocchette Centrali. Although brief, the actual climbing proved to be a lot better than expected. The rock quality was superlative and placing protection was by non means straightforward.

To make the route more friendly for repeaters, a few weeks after our first ascent our friends Matteo Faletti and Gianni Canale abseiled down the line and bolted the belays. For those wishing to climb it, we recommend a combination of routes up through the north face, starting from Bocchetta del Campanile Alto (see topo and photo). As to the gear, we recommend a full rack of Friends up to #3, plus a few micro-friends and a second set of mid-size friends. As mentioned, the belays that were protected by Friends and nuts have been bolted.

A big thank you to Matteo Faletti and Gianni Canale for having entertained us and kept us warm on the rather wert and cold day up in the Brenta Dolomites.

by Alessandro Beber

Alessandro Beber thanks: Scuola di Alpinismo Mountime - Outdoor Adventures, SCARPA, Millet Mountain,
Matteo Faletti thanks: Scuola di Alpinismo Mountime - Outdoor Adventures, La Sportiva, Millet Mountain,
Gianni Canale thanks: Scuola di Alpinismo Mountain Friends, Ortovox

TOPO: Destràni, Campanile Basso, Brenta Dolomites